KR20210016507A - Methods and systems for homogeneous dental instruments - Google Patents

Abstract

The method and system of the present invention comprises the steps of receiving dental data of a patient; Processing the dentition data in a server to determine a vertical displacement and anterior mandibular position so that the patient can breathe during sleep by opening the patient's airway; And forming a homogeneous dental appliance through direct manufacturing using the processed dental data, the vertical displacement, and the anterior mandibular position, wherein the dental appliance includes a lower dental tray and an upper dental tray, the The lower dental tray includes a pair of vertical displacement bite pads and a first pair of button protrusions having the vertical displacement, and the upper dental tray includes a second pair of button protrusions, and the first pair of button protrusions And the second pair of button protrusions relates to providing the anterior mandibular position when two elastic bands are attached to connect the upper dental tray and the lower dental tray.

Description

Methods and systems for homogeneous dental instruments

Cross-reference to related applications

This application is a regular application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/679,007 (Name of Invention: Methods and System for Homogeneous Dental Appliance, filing date: May 31, 2018) and its 35 U.S.C. Claims interest under § 119(e), and this basic application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

) 및 관련 기구이다. EMA

기구는 전방 하악 전진으로 공기 흐름을 증가시킴으로써 동작한다. EMA

기구의 하나의 문제는 기구 양쪽에 탄성 밴드(elastic band)에 부착된 버튼 돌출부(button protrusion)가 기구에서 분리될 위험이 있다는 것이다. 기구의 각 측면에 버튼 돌출부를 부착하는 하나의 방법은 접합하는 것을 포함한다. 그러나 버튼 돌출부를 접합하면 시간에 따라 사용이 늘어남에 따라 분리될 수 있다. 따라서 버튼 돌출부가 분리될 위험이 낮은 치과 기구가 요구된다.Sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea treatment include surgery, positive pressure airflow machines such as CPAP machines, and dental appliances. One known dental instrument is "Elastic Mandibular Advancement" (EMA

) And related organizations. EMA

The instrument operates by increasing the airflow to the anterior mandibular advance. EMA

One problem with the instrument is that there is a risk that button protrusions attached to elastic bands on either side of the instrument will detach from the instrument. One method of attaching the button protrusions to each side of the instrument involves bonding. However, if the button protrusions are joined, they can be separated as the use increases over time. Therefore, there is a need for a dental appliance with a low risk of the button protrusion being separated.

Some embodiments of the method include receiving oral characteristic data of a patient; Processing the oral characteristic data in a server to determine dentition data, vertical displacement, and anterior mandibular position so that the patient can breathe during sleep by opening the patient's airway; And forming a dental appliance through direct manufacturing using the dental data, the vertical displacement and the anterior mandibular position, the dental appliance including a lower dental tray and an upper dental tray, , The lower dental tray and the upper dental tray are each homogeneous, the lower dental tray includes the vertical displacement and a first pair of button protrusions, the upper dental tray includes a second pair of button protrusions, The first pair of button protrusions and the second pair of button protrusions provide the anterior mandibular position when two elastic bands are attached to connect the upper dental tray and the lower dental tray.

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is formed by three-dimensional (3D) printing of one or more of a photopolymerizable liquid curable crosslinked polymer, polyurethane, methacrylate, or copolymer.

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is formed by three-dimensional (3D) printing of a polymerizable resin composition of a urethane monomer, an acidic monomer, and one or more hydrophobic monomers of urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA).

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is milled or injection molded from one or more of an ethylene propylene copolymer and a polyoxymethylene copolymer.

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is injection molded using one or more of a thermoplastic olefin, a thermoplastic polyolefin, or an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer.

In one or more embodiments, the receiving of the patient's oral characteristic data comprises: scanning a mold of the tooth with a scanner or camera; And transmitting the oral characteristic data to a server.

In one or more embodiments, receiving the patient's oral characteristic data comprises: scanning the patient's oral cavity with a scanner; Imaging the oral cavity to determine the dentition data, wherein the oral characteristic data includes dentition data as one or more images of the patient's teeth and gum lines and one or more images of the patient's soft palate. Imaging the oral cavity; And transmitting the oral characteristics to a server.

In one or more embodiments, the method further comprises determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the patient's soft palate via the oral characteristic data.

In one or more embodiments, determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the patient's soft palate through the oral characteristics comprises: a posterior wall of the patient's oral pharynx and the soft palate And determining a vertical displacement of 5 millimeters to 7 millimeters if there is a space of 5 millimeters to 7 millimeters between the posterior edges of the.

In one or more embodiments, the step of determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the patient's soft palate through the oral characteristic data comprises processing the oral characteristic data from the maxillary central gum-tooth crown junction to the mandibular center. And measuring the distance to the gum-tooth crown junction.

In one or more embodiments, determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the soft palate of the patient through the oral characteristic data, wherein the posterior edge of the soft palate is between the posterior wall of the patient's oral pharynx and the soft palate. Determining whether it is longer than the normal soft palate with a space of 3 to 5 millimeters between the posterior edges; And providing a vertical displacement of 8 millimeters to 10 millimeters.

In one or more embodiments, determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the patient's soft palate through the oral characteristic data comprises whether the posterior edge of the soft palate is webbed longer than the normal soft palate. Determining whether or not, and providing at least 11 millimeters to 14 millimeters in said vertical displacement if there is a space of no more than 2 millimeters between the posterior wall of the oropharynx and the soft palate.

In one or more embodiments, determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the patient's soft palate through the oral characteristic data comprises determining whether the soft palate is short, normal, or long. do.

In one or more embodiments, the lower dental tray comprises a first vertical displacement bite pad on the left side of the lower dental tray, and a second vertical displacement bite pad on the right side of the lower dental tray, and the first And the height of each of the second vertical displacement bite pads is determined according to the oral characteristic data, and the oral characteristic data provides soft tissue data of a patient indicating airway function.

In one or more embodiments, the vertical displacement is provided by the thickness of the lower dental tray.

Another embodiment is a system comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions operative to perform a method when executed on the processor, the method comprising: storing oral characteristic data of a patient. Receiving; Processing the oral characteristic data in a server to determine dental data, vertical displacement, and anterior mandibular position so that the patient can breathe during sleep by opening the patient's airway; And forming a dental appliance through direct manufacturing using the dental data, the vertical displacement, and the anterior mandibular position, wherein the dental appliance includes a lower dental tray and an upper dental tray, and the lower dental tray and The upper dental trays are each homogeneous, and the lower dental tray includes a vertical displacement bite pad having the vertical displacement and a first pair of button protrusions, and the upper dental tray includes a second pair of button protrusions, The first pair of button protrusions and the second pair of button protrusions provide the anterior mandibular position when two elastic bands are attached to connect the upper dental tray and the lower dental tray. .

Another embodiment provides a method comprising: receiving at a server one or more sets of data associated with a patient; Determining, in the server, at least one location for placing the button protrusions based on the data set received from the scanner, the received data set comprising at least a dentition pattern, a gingival line, a soft palate measurement of the patient's soft palate shape, And determining one or more locations for placing the button protrusions, including measurements of uvula placement of the patient's soft palate shape; Communicating by the server the one or more positions and vertical displacements for placing the button protrusions, the communicating step of assigning a value associated with each of the one or more positions for placing the button protrusions, each Assigning a value associated with each of the one or more positions, wherein the value of is representing the distance between the upper tray button protrusion and the lower tray button protrusion for mandibular advancement; Transmitting the value data to one or more of a 3D printer, a milling device, and an injection molding device; And forming a dental appliance through direct manufacturing using values associated with each of the one or more positions for placing the button protrusion, wherein the dental appliance includes a lower dental tray and an upper dental tray, and the lower dental appliance The tray and the upper dental tray are each homogeneous, the lower dental tray includes the vertical displacement and a first pair of button protrusions, the upper dental tray includes a second pair of button protrusions, and the first pair of The button protrusion and the second pair of button protrusions are directed to the method of providing an anterior mandibular position when two elastic bands are attached to connect the upper dental tray and the lower dental tray.

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is formed by three-dimensional (3D) printing of one or more of a photopolymerizable liquid curable crosslinked polymer, polyurethane, methacrylate and copolymer.

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is subjected to one or more of milling and injection molding with one or more of an ethylene propylene copolymer and a polyoxymethylene copolymer.

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is formed by three-dimensional (3D) printing of a polymerizable resin composition of a urethane monomer, an acidic monomer, and one or more hydrophobic monomers of urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA).

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is injection molded using a thermoplastic olefin, a thermoplastic polyolefin, or an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer.

In one or more embodiments, the vertical displacement is a function of the patient's soft palate shape.

In one or more embodiments, the vertical displacement is provided by one or more of a pair of bite pads on the lower dental tray or by the thickness of the lower dental tray.

In one or more embodiments, the determination of the gingival line identifies a maxillary tooth crown-gum junction and a mandibular crown-gum junction, and wherein the upper dental tray is about 3 millimeters away from the maxillary crown-gingival junction on the upper dental tray. And the lower dental tray is formed to reach about 3 millimeters below the mandibular crown-gum junction.

Some embodiments include a system including a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions operative to perform the methods described herein when executed on the processor.

1A is a diagram illustrating a system and network environment including computing devices in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
1B illustrates a processor and computing device in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
2 is a diagram illustrating a network environment in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention;
3 illustrates a milling machine in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 4 shows a homogeneous dental appliance comprising a button protrusion and a vertical displacement bite pad by direct manufacturing in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary thermal injection mold for creating a homogeneous dental tray by direct manufacturing in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
6 is a diagram showing a negative portion of a thermal injection mold for a lower dental tray in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 7 shows a positive portion of a thermal injection mold for a lower dental tray to be used with the mold of FIG. 6 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention;
8 is a diagram illustrating an intaglio portion of a thermal injection mold for an upper dental tray in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 9 shows a relief portion of a thermal injection mold for an upper dental tray to be used with the mold of FIG. 8 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
10 is a diagram illustrating a process of milling a solid material “puck” in a dental tray by direct manufacturing in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention;
11 is a view showing a dental appliance having an elastic band attached according to an embodiment of the present invention;
12 is a diagram showing an oral profile of a patient showing a short soft palate in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention;
13 is a diagram illustrating a patient's open mouth showing a normal soft palate and uvula in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
14 shows an oral profile of a patient showing a normal soft palate in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
15 is a diagram illustrating a patient's open mouth showing an elongated soft palate and uvula in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
16 is a diagram illustrating an oral profile of a patient showing an elongated soft palate in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a patient's open mouth showing an elongated soft palate and uvula in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. And
18 illustrates a dental appliance disposed on a mold of a patient's teeth in an open position in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention.

In the detailed description that follows, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form part of this specification. Similar symbols in the drawings generally indicate similar elements unless the context indicates otherwise. The exemplary embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not intended to limit the invention. Other embodiments may be used, and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein.

Referring now to FIG. 1A, this diagram shows a computing device 10 connected to a computer server 30 via a network interface in an exemplary environment 100. The computing device 10 and computer server 30 illustrated as further described herein may utilize computationally implemented methods, systems, and articles of manufacture in accordance with various embodiments. Computing device 10 and computer server 30 enable the functionality of computing device 10 in various embodiments.

The computing device 10 shown in FIG. 1A may be a tablet computer, and in alternative embodiments, methods, systems and articles of manufacture that are computationally implemented according to various embodiments may be, for example, mobile phones, laptops, smart phones. Other types of computer systems with different form factors including other types of portable computing devices such as electronic readers, etc. may be implemented. Computing devices may include smart phones, client computers, and the like as possible computing devices. As shown, computing device 10 may include a display such as a touchscreen as input/output of computing device 10. The computing device 10 may further include a keyboard as a touch input/output keyboard or as an attached keyboard. As further shown, computing device 10 may also be connected to scanner 16. In one embodiment, scanner 16 may be a scanning camera capable of generating 3D images of teeth.

Referring now to FIG. 1B, computing device 10 is further illustrated as having a logic module 102, a network interface 104, a user interface 110, a processor 116 and a memory 114. Logic module 102 may be implemented using circuit components such as an ASIC, and the illustrated logic module 102 and other modules may be implemented with one or more processors 116 and ASICs that execute computer readable instructions 152. It can be implemented using a combination of the same specially designed circuitry (or other type of circuitry such as an electric field programmable gate array or FPGA). For example, in some embodiments, at least one of the logic modules may be implemented using specially designed circuitry (e.g., ASIC), while the second logic module is a processor that executes computer readable instructions 152. 116 (or other type of programmable circuitry such as an FPGA) (e.g., software and/or firmware). System requirements may specify a combination of software and firmware and circuitry to meet the embodiments of the present invention, for example, a logic module is a software / software to quickly implement the method and system within the scope of the present invention. It can be designed to use the most efficient combination of hardware/firmware. In some embodiments, a Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacture (CAD/CAM) program operates to implement the method of the present invention to form a dental instrument from a scanned image. For example, a CAD program can generate data in a three-dimensional format and transmit the data to a manufacturing device such as a 3D printer, milling machine, or injection mold creation device. The method of the present invention includes automatically determining the placement and vertical displacement of the button protrusion by classifying the patient's sleep apnea needs according to soft tissue characteristics and dentition using patient-centric oral characteristic data. The soft tissue described herein refers to a soft palate, a gingival line, a uvula arrangement, as well as a hyoid tissue in the oral cavity of a patient.

In various embodiments, memory 114 of computing device 10 includes mass storage device, read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), cache memory, For example, it may include one or more of random access memory (RAM), flash memory, synchronous random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and/or other types of memory devices. In various embodiments, one or more applications 160 stored in memory 114 are, for example, operating system 162, browser(s) 163, and one or more productivity applications 164, e.g., Word. Processing applications or imaging applications, scanning applications and one or more communication applications 166, and the like.

Computing device 10 may also include an access restriction module 106. The access restriction module 106 of the computing device 10 may be configured to limit access through the computing device 10 or prevent one or more operations by the computing device 10. The computing device 10 may also include an appliance creation module 108 coupled to the access restriction module 106 via a bus.

Referring to FIG. 2, the appliance creation module 108 may be configured to determine that the first user 20 is an authorized user attempting to operate the computing device 10. The appliance creation module 108 may also be configured to determine an established authorized user based on data received over the network while the computing device 10 is connected to the network connection 50. In the case of the cloud computing setting or the appliance creation module 108 present in the computer server 30, the appliance creation module 108 is the first time logging into the network 50 or when the cloud computing logs into the computer server 30 It may be configured to determine network based authentication for the first user.

Instrument creation module 108 may be configured to receive input from scanner 16. In some embodiments, the instrument creation module 108 is coupled to a milling device, a three dimensional printer, or an injection mold creation device. The instrument generation module 108 may receive CAD/CAM data or other oral characteristic data and/or dentition data to generate a dental instrument according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

A computer server 30 connected to the computing device 10 of FIGS. 1A and 1B via a network 50 may establish and/or determine a vertical displacement and anterior mandibular position for treating sleep apnea. For example, inspecting and using the scanner 16 and/or the mold of the patient's teeth can determine the adjustments needed to treat sleep apnea. The upper and lower trays including button protrusions may be produced from a mold. For example, a patient with malocclusion and sleep apnea may be asked to make a decision via scanner 16 or other means. Depending on the results of the scans of teeth and soft tissues and the patient's feedback, each patient may be required to place different horizontal and vertical displacements to treat sleep apnea. The vertical displacement may be achieved through the lower bite pad or through the thickness of the lower dental tray. In an embodiment, the vertical displacement is part of a mold, milled instrument, or 3D printed dental instrument.

In one embodiment, the mold(s) are capable of injecting a thermoplastic material or an FDA approved material, such as nylon, to form upper and lower trays adapted to close but removably fit over the upper and lower teeth. When the elastic material is detachably attached to the front and rear portions of both sides of the upper and lower trays, respectively, the lower tray forms a front mandibular position with respect to the upper tray, so that the lower tray forms an anterior mandibular position with respect to the upper tray. can do. The button protrusions on the lower dental tray and the upper dental tray are arranged so that elastic bands can be attached to the button protrusions. In one embodiment, the button protrusions are included as part of a mold for injection molding, milled from a “puck” for a dental instrument tray, or made directly during 3D printing.

One embodiment comprises of one or more removably attachable elastic bands adapted to connect the upper tray and the lower tray through protrusions on each of the upper and lower trays such that the elastic bands form the front mandibular position of the lower tray with respect to the upper tray. It involves determining the dimensional and elasticity.

The elastic band may include a plurality of pairs of elastic bands, each pair having a different length and/or elasticity.

In one embodiment, the dental instrument is configured to be worn during sleep. Referring now to FIG. 3, the dental instrument is manufactured using a three-dimensional (3D) technology such as 3D data collection or 3D printing through scanning that can be transmitted to the milling device 300 as shown in FIG. It may include a tray and a lower tray. The resulting dental instrument is shown in FIG. 4.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a dental instrument 400 including an upper tray 410, a lower tray 420, an upper button protrusion 450, a lower button protrusion 460 and a bite pad 470 is shown. . Unlike other dental instruments that include button protrusions and lower bite pads, embodiments of the present invention include bite pads that are not integrated with the lower button protrusions but manufactured directly as part of the dental tray. Direct manufacturing as used herein refers to dental instruments in that other parts such as button protrusions and vertical displacement bite pads suitable for the patient are manufactured simultaneously with the dental tray itself and integrated into a mold, milled material, or printed with a three-dimensional printer. It means to form homogeneously.

Materials suitable for 3D printers may be resin-type materials and materials described in U.S. Patent No. 9,682,018 (patent holder: Sadowsky et al., registration date: June 20, 2017, title of invention: "Denture Tooth and Material"). The entire contents of the patent documents are incorporated herein. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, materials suitable for dental instruments must be FDA approved. Materials suitable for resins are described in Tanaka J, Flashimoto T., Stansbury JW, Antonucci JM, Suzuki K., "Polymer Properties of Resins Composed of UDMA an Methacrylates With the Carboxyl Group" Dental Material Journal 2001; 10:206-215, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

Three-dimensional printing referred to herein includes, but is not limited to, stereo lithography (SLA), micro-stereolithography (pSLA), DLP projection, 2PP (two photon polymerization), continuous liquid interface generation and material spraying. . In an embodiment, three-dimensional printing includes layer-by-layer printing in which successive layers are formed into individual layers. For example, a surface with a build plate immersed in a reservoir of a polymer/resin component formulation can be exposed to light of a wavelength and intensity capable of activating a photoinitiator to cause photopolymerization. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, there are other methods of three-dimensional printing, such as continuous liquid interfacial printing to build dental trays from reservoirs of photopolymerizable resin. Continuous liquid interface printing is described in US Patent Publication Nos. 2015/0097315, 2015/0097316 and 2015/0102532, each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

In some embodiments, dental instruments may be formed through injection molding. For example, two molds such as the mold 500 shown in FIG. 5 may be used for an upper dental tray and a lower dental tray.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a portion of a mold showing the intaglio portion of the lower dental tray 600 is shown. Specifically, the mold 600 includes a concave tooth portion 640, a concave button protrusion 610, and a concave portion 620 for a bite pad. Referring now to FIG. 7, a relief mold for the lower dental tray 700 is shown. The embossed mold 700 includes a button protrusion 710, a bite pad 720, and a tooth portion 740.

Referring now to Fig. 8, a similar mold of Fig. 6 is shown showing the intaglio portion of the upper dental tray. As shown, the intaglio mold 800 includes button protrusions 810 and 812 and intaglio teeth 840. Referring to FIG. 9, an embossed mold 900 for an upper dental tray including button protrusions 910 and 912 and teeth 940 is shown.

Turning now to FIG. 10, a milling process 1000 is shown including a solid material or “puck” 1010 milled for an upper dental tray made of an FDA approved material. In one or more embodiments, the material to be milled may be an ethylene propylene copolymer or a polyoxymethylene copolymer. In other embodiments, the material may be a thermoplastic olefin, a thermoplastic polyolefin, or an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, several materials can be converted into "pucks" for milling.

During the process, the button protrusion 1010 is milled as shown by reference numeral 1020. Next, as shown at 1030, the upper dental tray of the dental instrument is milled from the puck. The lower dental tray can be milled in a similar process. Thus, the dental instrument can be milled so that the button protrusions and/or dental pads on the lower dental tray become part of one homogeneous dental tray by direct manufacturing independent of later bonding or bonding of the button protrusions and bite pads.

Thus, as indicated above, the upper and lower dental trays of the dental appliance can be manufactured directly using a milling process, an injection molding process and/or 3D technology. Materials suitable for injection molding of dental instruments include thermoplastic resins, thermoplastic elastomers, and the like. One or ethylene propylene copolymer or polyoxymethylene copolymer. In other embodiments, the material may be a thermoplastic olefin, a thermoplastic polyolefin, or an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer. Materials suitable for 3D printing technology include thermosetting polymers such as photopolymerizable liquid materials. In one or more embodiments, materials suitable for 3D printing include crosslinked polymers such as polyurethanes, methacrylates or copolymers. In some embodiments, the 3D printing material may comprise a nylon material.

In one or more embodiments, the milling and / or injection molding material used for molding is Myerson tooth four (Myerson Tooth comprising an ethylene propylene copolymer VisiClear ^TM and DuraFlex ^TM has the following characteristics as shown in Table 1 below, Inc .) can be provided by:

In yet another embodiment, the milled or injection molded material can be provided by DuraCetal ^™ available from Myerson Tooth, a polyoxymethylene copolymer having the following properties as shown in Table 2 below:

Referring now to FIG. 11, a dental appliance 1100 is shown having an upper dental tray 1102 and a lower dental tray 1104 having elastic bands connecting both sides of the dental appliance. As shown, an elastic band 1108 connecting the button projection buttons 1110 and 1120 is shown on the left side of the dental appliance.

Dental instruments created from injection molding, milling or 3D printing are advantageously made directly so that the dental instruments are uniformly included in the mold, milled puck, or via a 3D generating machine without the need for button protrusions and mandibular bite pads to be added later. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 11, additional components other than the elastic band are not required. Prior to direct manufacturing as disclosed herein, the dental tray required other components such as button protrusions and bite pads to be added by adhesive or the like or enclosed in a thermoforming method (non-milling method).

Since direct manufacturing requires placement of the button protrusions and bite pads during manufacturing of the entire dental instrument, measurements are taken to determine the location of the button protrusions and bite pads for each patient prior to making a homogeneous dental tray. Referring again to FIG. 1A, the scanner/camera 16 provides the necessary oral characteristics including dental data, which may include tooth data and soft palate data to determine proper placement of button protrusions and bite pads in one embodiment. It involves determining the data.

In one or more embodiments, the method includes determining the height of the bite pad or amount of vertical component relative to the dental instrument as a function of the shape of the soft palate. In another embodiment, the vertical displacement is determined by the patient's soft tissue, such as the hyoid bone shape. In one or more embodiments, a scanner and/or camera, such as scanner/camera 16, detects the shape of the soft palate. The data is collected as oral characteristic data and provided to a processor, the processor operative to classify the oral characteristics to make a homogeneous instrument.

In one or more embodiments, there are three classifications for the soft palate: short soft palate, normal soft palate or long soft palate. Thus, in one or more embodiments, the method includes determining whether the posterior edge of the soft palate is short. For example, if there is a space of about 5 mm to 7 mm between the posterior wall of the oral pharynx and the posterior edge of the soft palate, the soft palate is determined to be short, and the dental instrument requires a vertical displacement of about 5 mm to 7 mm. do. In some embodiments, to determine the vertical displacement, the scanner may measure the distance from the maxillary center gum-tooth crown junction to the mandibular center gum-tooth crown junction. If this distance is for example 20 mm and thus a vertical distance of 7 mm is desired, the vertical displacement can be determined so that the bite has a vertical displacement of 7 mm in some embodiments.

In some embodiments, the method includes determining whether the posterior edge of the soft palate is longer than the normal soft palate. If the soft palate is longer so that there is a space of 3 mm to 4 mm between the posterior wall of the oropharynx and the posterior edge of the soft palate, in some embodiments, the dental instrument is such that the soft palate obstructs the airway when the patient is in a supine position. It can be made to provide a vertical displacement of 8mm to 10mm to prevent this.

If the soft palate has a very long webbed shape so that there is only 2 mm or less of space between the soft palate and the posterior wall of the oropharynx, the instrument may require a vertical displacement of 11 mm to 14 mm.

In one or more embodiments, the scanner determines whether the soft palate is short, long, or normal, and determines the placement of the uvula relative to the palate. 12-17 show possible scan diagrams of the patient's soft palate.

12 and 13, profiles of a patient's head 1200 and an open mouth of the patient 1300 are shown. 12 shows the short palate 1210. 13 shows a front perspective view of the same short palate 1310.

14 shows a patient's profile 1400 and normal palate 1410. 15 shows a front perspective view of the patient's open mouth 1500 and normal palate 1510.

16 shows the patient's profile 1600 and the elongated palate 1610. 17 shows a front perspective view of the patient's open mouth 1700 and elongated palate 1710.

The determination of whether the palate is short, normal, or long may be made through examination by a dental professional, or, according to one embodiment, through the scanner/camera 16 collecting patient-related data.

Determining the placement and size of the lower dental tray bite pad is a function of the patient's palatal length. Additionally, in some embodiments, the maxillary button protrusions on the upper dental tray are disposed at each incisor edge in the gap between the right and left canines and the first bicuspid).

The placement of the mandibular button protrusion can be determined by determining the patient's range of motion. In some embodiments, the scanner detects the maximum range of motion by measuring before and after the extension of the lower jaw. For example, if the patient's advancing potential is only 5 mm to 7 mm, the button is placed 23 mm apart from the patient's tooth center. When the patient's advancing possibility is 7mm to 10mm, the button is placed 25mm apart, and when the patient's advancing possibility is 10mm to 17mm, the button is placed 27mm apart.

In one or more embodiments, the method includes determining a location of a button on the mandibular arch by centering a model of the patient and placing the center of the mandibular button 23 mm, 25 mm or 27 mm from the center of the maxillary button. .

As described above, the scanner/camera imaging/scanning the patient's mouth to determine dental data and soft tissue data, e.g., soft palatal data, and the scanner/camera integrated into the scanner or the computer system connected to the processor is as described above. Likewise, determine the placement of the button protrusion and bite pad.

Referring now to Fig. 18, a schematic diagram of a dental appliance in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown. More specifically, the dental appliance 1800 includes an upper dental tray 1802, a lower dental tray 1804, four button protrusions 1810 and 1820 disposed on the upper dental tray 1802, and a lower dental tray 1804. ) And button protrusions 1830 and 1849 disposed on it. Also shown is a lower dental tray 1804 comprising vertical displacement bite pads 1850 and 1860. In one embodiment, the dental appliance includes elastic bands 1870 and 1880 disposed on both sides of the dental appliance to couple the upper dental tray 1802 to the lower dental tray 1804.

Also shown in FIG. 18 is a model 1890 including the patient's teeth. The model can be formed by 3D printing after scanning the patient, or it can be formed from molding the patient's teeth.

In one or more embodiments, the dentition data includes gingival line data that enables holding dental instruments for the patient. More specifically, it can better hold the instrument if the tray is designed to fit the gum line. Thus, in some embodiments, the method includes determining a distance of 3 millimeters below the tooth crown-gum junction on the upper dental tray, unless there is a protruding axial slope of the incisor. For the protruding axial tilt of the incisor patient, the upper dental tray is formed to reach 1/3 to 1/2 above the anterior tooth. The lower dental tray is also configured to reach 3 millimeters below the dental crown-gingival junction, unless there is an axial tilt protruding from the patient's mandibular incisors. For the protruding axial tilt of the mandibular incisor patient, the lower dental tray is formed to reach above the dental crown-gum area in the anterior incisor. The gum line data is provided to form the dental tray with the 3D model prior to using the milling process or before using the mold.

As described above, a dental instrument as depicted in FIG. 18 includes, in one or more embodiments, a method comprising: receiving oral characteristic data of a patient; Processing the oral characteristic data in a server to determine dental data, vertical displacement, and anterior mandibular position so that the patient can breathe during sleep by opening the patient's airway; And forming a dental appliance through direct manufacturing using the dental data, the vertical displacement, and the anterior mandibular position, wherein the dental appliance includes a lower dental tray and an upper dental tray, and the lower dental tray and The upper dental trays are each homogeneous, and the lower dental tray includes a vertical displacement bite pad having the vertical displacement and a first pair of button protrusions, and the upper dental tray includes a second pair of button protrusions, The first pair of button protrusions and the second pair of button protrusions are formed by the method, providing the anterior mandibular position when two elastic bands are attached to connect the upper dental tray and the lower dental tray. do.

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is formed by three-dimensional (3D) printing of one or more of a photopolymerizable liquid curable crosslinked polymer, polyurethane, methacrylate, or copolymer.

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is formed by three-dimensional (3D) printing of a polymerizable resin composition of a urethane monomer, an acidic monomer, and one or more hydrophobic monomers of urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA).

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is milled or injection molded from one or more of an ethylene propylene copolymer and a polyoxymethylene copolymer.

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is injection molded using a thermoplastic olefin, a thermoplastic polyolefin, or an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer.

In one or more embodiments, the receiving of the patient's oral characteristic data comprises: scanning a mold of the tooth with a scanner or camera; And transmitting the oral characteristic data to a server.

In one or more embodiments, receiving the patient's oral characteristic data comprises: scanning the patient's oral cavity with a scanner; Imaging the oral cavity to determine the dentition data, wherein the oral characteristic data includes dentition data as one or more images of the patient's teeth and gingival lines and one or more images of the patient's soft palate. step; And transmitting the oral characteristics to a server.

In one or more embodiments, the method includes determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the patient's soft palate via the oral characteristic data.

In one or more embodiments, determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the patient's soft palate via the oral characteristics comprises between 5 millimeters between the posterior wall of the patient's oral pharynx and the posterior edge of the soft palate. Determining a vertical displacement of 5 millimeters to 7 millimeters if there is a space of 7 millimeters.

In one or more embodiments, the step of determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the patient's soft palate through the oral characteristic data comprises processing the oral characteristic data from the maxillary central gum-tooth crown junction to the mandibular center. And measuring the distance to the gum-tooth crown junction.

In one or more embodiments, determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the soft palate of the patient through the oral characteristic data, wherein the posterior edge of the soft palate is between the posterior wall of the patient's oral pharynx and the soft palate. Determining whether it is longer than the normal soft palate with a space of 3 to 5 millimeters between the posterior edges; And providing a vertical displacement of 8 millimeters to 10 millimeters.

In one or more embodiments, determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the patient's soft palate through the oral characteristic data determines whether the posterior edge of the soft palate is a webbed shape longer than the normal soft palate. And providing at least 11 millimeters to 14 millimeters with the vertical displacement when there is a space of less than 2 millimeters between the posterior wall of the oral pharynx and the soft palate.

In one or more embodiments, determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the patient's soft palate through the oral characteristic data comprises determining whether the soft palate is short, normal, or long. do.

In one or more embodiments, the lower dental tray comprises a first vertical displacement bite pad on the left side of the lower dental tray, and a second vertical displacement bite pad on the right side of the lower dental tray, wherein the first and second vertical The height of each of the displacement bite pads is determined according to the oral characteristic data, and the oral characteristic data provides soft tissue data of a patient indicating airway function.

In one or more embodiments, the vertical displacement is provided by the thickness of the lower dental tray.

Another embodiment is a system comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions operative to perform a method when executed on the processor, the method comprising: storing oral characteristic data of a patient. Receiving; Processing the oral characteristic data in a server to determine dental data, vertical displacement, and anterior mandibular position so that the patient can breathe during sleep by opening the patient's airway; And forming a dental appliance through direct manufacturing using the dental data, the vertical displacement, and the anterior mandibular position, wherein the dental appliance includes a lower dental tray and an upper dental tray, and the lower dental tray and The upper dental trays are homogeneous, respectively, the lower dental tray includes a vertical displacement and a first pair of button protrusions, the upper dental tray includes a second pair of button protrusions, and the first pair of button protrusions And the second pair of button protrusions to provide the anterior mandibular position when two elastic bands are attached to connect the upper dental tray and the lower dental tray.

Another embodiment provides a method comprising: receiving at a server one or more sets of data associated with a patient; Determining at the server one or more locations for placing the button protrusions based on the data set received from the scanner, the received data set comprising at least a dentition pattern, a gingival line measurement, and a palatal measurement of the patient's soft palate shape , And determining one or more locations for placing the button protrusions, including uvula placement measurements for the shape of the patient's soft palate; Communicating by the server the one or more positions and vertical displacements for placing the button protrusions, the communicating step of assigning a value associated with each of the one or more positions for placing the button protrusions, each Assigning a value associated with each of the one or more positions, wherein the value of is representing the distance between the upper tray button protrusion and the lower tray button protrusion for mandibular advancement; Transmitting the value data to one or more of a 3D printer, a milling device, and an injection molding device; And forming a dental appliance through direct manufacturing using values associated with each of the one or more positions for placing the button protrusion, wherein the dental appliance includes a lower dental tray and an upper dental tray, and the lower dental appliance The tray and the upper dental tray are each homogeneous, the lower dental tray includes the vertical displacement and a first pair of button protrusions, the upper dental tray includes a second pair of button protrusions, and the first pair of The button protrusion and the second pair of button protrusions are directed to the method of providing an anterior mandibular position when two elastic bands are attached to connect the upper dental tray and the lower dental tray.

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is formed by three-dimensional (3D) printing of one or more of a photopolymerizable liquid curable crosslinked polymer, polyurethane, methacrylate and copolymer.

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is subjected to one or more of milling and injection molding with one or more of an ethylene propylene copolymer and a polyoxymethylene copolymer.

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is formed by three-dimensional (3D) printing of a polymerizable resin composition of a urethane monomer, an acidic monomer, and one or more hydrophobic monomers of urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA).

In one or more embodiments, the dental appliance is injection molded using a thermoplastic olefin, a thermoplastic polyolefin, or an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer.

In one or more embodiments, the vertical displacement is a function of the patient's soft palate shape.

In one or more embodiments, the vertical displacement is provided by one or more of a pair of bite pads on the lower dental tray or by the thickness of the lower dental tray.

In one or more embodiments, the determination of the gingival line identifies a maxillary tooth crown-gum junction and a mandibular crown-gum junction, and wherein the upper dental tray is about 3 millimeters away from the maxillary crown-gingival junction on the upper dental tray. And the lower dental tray is formed to reach about 3 millimeters below the mandibular crown-gum junction.

Another embodiment is a system comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions operative to perform a method when executed on the processor, the method comprising: one or more data associated with a patient Receiving the set at the server; Determining at the server one or more locations for placing the button protrusions based on the data set received from the scanner, the received data set comprising at least a dentition pattern, a palatal measurement of the patient's soft palate shape, and the patient's Determining one or more locations for placing the button protrusions, including uvula placement measurements for the soft palate shape; Communicating by the server the one or more positions and vertical displacements for placing the button protrusions, the communicating step of assigning a value associated with each of the one or more positions for placing the button protrusions, each Assigning a value associated with each of the one or more positions, wherein the value of is representing the distance between the upper tray button protrusion and the lower tray button protrusion for mandibular advancement; Transmitting the value data to one or more of a 3D printer, a milling device, and an injection molding device; And forming a dental appliance through direct manufacturing using values associated with each of the one or more positions for placing the button protrusion, wherein the dental appliance includes a lower dental tray and an upper dental tray, and the lower dental appliance The tray and the upper dental tray are each homogeneous, the lower dental tray includes the vertical displacement and a first pair of button protrusions, the upper dental tray includes a second pair of button protrusions, and the first pair of The button protrusion and the second pair of button protrusions are directed to the system, providing an anterior mandibular position when two elastic bands are attached to connect the upper dental tray and the lower dental tray.

For those of ordinary skill in the art, the state of the art has progressed to such a degree that there is little distinction between the hardware and software implementations of aspects of the system, indicating whether to use hardware or software, generally representing a cost-effective tradeoff. You'll recognize that this is a design option (though not always, the choice between hardware and software can become important in certain situations). For those of ordinary skill in the art, there are a variety of vehicles on which the processes and/or systems and/or other technologies described herein can be performed (e.g., hardware, software of one or more machines or articles of manufacture). And/or firmware), it will be appreciated that the preferred vehicle may vary depending on the circumstances in which the process and/or system and/or other technology is deployed. For example, if an implementer determines that speed and accuracy are paramount, the implementer may primarily select a hardware and/or firmware vehicle; Alternatively, if flexibility is paramount, an implementer may choose primarily a software implementation implemented on one or more machines or articles of manufacture; Or again alternatively, the implementer may select some combination of hardware, software and/or firmware in one or more machines or articles of manufacture. Thus, there are several possible vehicles on which the processes and/or devices and/or other technologies described herein can be performed, and the vehicles used are the circumstances in which the vehicle is deployed and the specific interests of the implementer (e.g., speed, flexibility Or, it can be said that one item is not essentially superior to the other in that the options may vary depending on the predictability. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the optical aspects of an implementation can generally utilize optically centric hardware, software, and/or firmware on one or more machines or articles of manufacture.

The foregoing detailed description has described various embodiments of devices and/or processes using block diagrams, flow charts, and/or examples. For those of ordinary skill in the art, as long as one or more functions and/or operations are included in such block diagrams, flowcharts and/or embodiments, each function and/or operation within such block diagrams, flowcharts or embodiments. It will be appreciated that ss may be implemented individually and/or collectively by a wide variety of hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one embodiment, various portions of the subject matter described herein may be implemented through an application specific integrated circuit unit (ASIC), an electric field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), or other integrated form. However, those of ordinary skill in the art may understand that some aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein may, in whole or in part, be one or more computer programs (e.g., one or more computer programs executed on one or more computer systems). Or more programs), one or more programs running on one or more processors (e.g., one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors), firmware, or virtually any combination thereof, which may be implemented equally in the integrated circuit unit, and It will be appreciated that designing circuitry and/or writing code for software and/or firmware is within the scope of those skilled in the art in light of the present invention. In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art may distribute the mechanism of the subject matter described in this specification to various types of program products, and the exemplary embodiment of the subject matter described in this specification actually performs the distribution. It will be appreciated that this applies irrespective of the particular type of signal carrying medium used. Examples of signal carrier media include recordable tangible media such as floppy disk, hard disk drive, compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD), digital tape, computer memory, and the like; And transmission tangible media, such as digital and/or analog communication media (eg, fiber optic cables, waveguides, wired communication links, wireless communication links, etc.).

In a general sense, the various aspects described herein that can be individually and/or collectively implemented by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof, to those of ordinary skill in the art It will be appreciated that it can be viewed as consisting of tangible "electrical circuitry". As a result, the "electric circuit part" as used herein refers to an electric circuit part having at least one discrete electric circuit, an electric circuit part having at least one integrated circuit, an electric circuit part having at least one custom integrated circuit, and a computer program. A general purpose computing device (e.g., a general purpose computer configured by a computer program at least partially performing the processes and/or devices described herein, or a computer at least partially performing the processes and/or devices described herein. An electrical circuit portion forming a microprocessor configured by a program), an electrical circuit portion forming a memory device (e.g., in the form of a random access memory), and/or a communication device (e.g., a modem, a communication switch or optoelectronic equipment) Including, but not limited to, an electric circuit portion forming a. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the subject matter described herein may be implemented in an analog or digital manner, or some combination thereof.

Those of ordinary skill in the art would describe devices and/or processes in the manner described herein and subsequently incorporate these described devices and/or processes into data processing systems using engineering techniques. It will be appreciated that it is common in the field. That is, at least some of the devices and/or processes described herein may be incorporated into a data processing system through a reasonable amount of experimentation. For those skilled in the art, typical data processing systems are typically video display devices, memories such as volatile and non-volatile memory, processors such as microprocessors and digital signal processors, operating systems, drivers, and graphical user interfaces. And a computational entity such as an application program, one or more interactive devices such as a touch pad or screen, and/or a control system comprising a feedback loop and a control motor (e.g., feedback for position and/or speed sensing; component And/or a control motor for moving and/or adjusting the amount). A typical data processing system may be implemented using any suitable commercially available components such as those commonly found in data computing/communication and/or network computing/communication systems.

While certain aspects of the subject matter described herein have been shown and described, variations and modifications may be made based on the content of this specification without departing from the subject matter described herein, and the broader aspects and thus the appended claims It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art to include within the scope of the claims all such changes and modifications fall within the true spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. In addition, it is understood that the invention is limited by the appended claims.

Claims (25)

As a method,
Receiving oral characteristic data of the patient;
Processing the oral characteristic data in a server to determine dentition data, vertical displacement, and anterior mandibular position so that the patient can breathe during sleep by opening the patient's airway; And
Forming a dental appliance through direct manufacturing using the dental data, the vertical displacement, and the anterior mandibular position, wherein the dental appliance includes a lower dental tray and an upper dental tray, and the lower The dental tray and the upper dental tray are each homogeneous, the lower dental tray includes a vertical displacement and a first pair of button protrusions, and the upper dental tray includes a second pair of button protrusions, Wherein the first pair of button protrusions and the second pair of button protrusions provide the anterior mandibular position when two elastic bands are attached to connect the upper dental tray and the lower dental tray. The method of claim 1, wherein the dental appliance is formed by three-dimensional (3D) printing of one or more of a photopolymerizable liquid curable crosslinked polymer, polyurethane, methacrylate, or copolymer. The method of claim 1, wherein the dental appliance is formed by three-dimensional (3D) printing of a polymerizable resin composition of a urethane monomer, an acidic monomer, and one or more hydrophobic monomers of urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA). The method of claim 1 wherein the dental appliance is milled or injection molded from at least one of an ethylene propylene copolymer and a polyoxymethylene copolymer. The method of claim 1, wherein the dental appliance is injection molded using a thermoplastic olefin, a thermoplastic polyolefin, or an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the patient's oral characteristic data comprises:
Scanning the mold of the tooth with a scanner or camera; And
Transmitting the oral characteristic data to a server. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the patient's oral characteristic data comprises:
Scanning the oral cavity of the patient with a scanner;
Imaging the oral cavity to determine the dentition data, wherein the oral characteristic data includes dentition data as one or more images of the patient's teeth and gum lines and one or more images of the patient's soft palate. Imaging the oral cavity; And
Transmitting the oral characteristics to a server. The method of claim 7,
And determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the patient's soft palate via the oral characteristic data. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the soft palate of the patient through the oral characteristics,
Determining a vertical displacement of 5 millimeters to 7 millimeters if there is a space of 5 millimeters to 7 millimeters between the posterior wall of the oral pharynx of the patient and the posterior edge of the soft palate. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the patient's soft palate through the oral characteristic data,
And processing the oral characteristic data to measure the distance from the upper center of the gum-tooth crown junction to the mandibular center of the gum-tooth crown junction. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the soft palate of the patient through the oral characteristic data,
Determining whether the posterior edge of the soft palate is longer than a normal soft palate with a space of 3 to 5 millimeters between the posterior wall of the patient's oropharynx and the posterior edge of the soft palate; And
Providing a vertical displacement of 8 millimeters to 10 millimeters. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the patient's soft palate through the oral characteristic data,
Determining whether the posterior edge of the soft palate is a webbed longer than the normal soft palate, and
Providing at least 11 millimeters to 14 millimeters in said vertical displacement if there is a space of no more than 2 millimeters between the posterior wall of the oropharynx and the soft palate. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the vertical displacement as a function of the shape of the patient's soft palate through the oral characteristic data,
Determining whether the soft palate is short, normal, or long. The method of claim 1, wherein the lower dental tray includes a first vertical displacement bite pad on a left side of the lower dental tray, and a second vertical displacement bite pad on a right side of the lower dental tray, and the first And a height of each of the second vertical displacement bite pads is determined according to the oral characteristic data, the oral characteristic data providing soft tissue data of a patient indicating airway function. The method of claim 1, wherein the vertical displacement is provided by the thickness of the lower dental tray. A system comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions operative to perform the method of claim 1 when executed on the processor. As a method,
Receiving at the server one or more sets of data related to the patient;
Determining at the server one or more locations for placing the button protrusions based on the data set received from the scanner, the received data set comprising at least a dentition pattern, a palatal measurement of the patient's soft palate shape, and the patient's Determining one or more locations for placing the button protrusions, including uvula placement measurements for the soft palate shape, and the patient's gingival line;
Communicating by the server the one or more positions and vertical displacements for placing the button protrusions, wherein the communicating comprises:
Assigning a value associated with each of the one or more locations for placing a button protrusion, each value being associated with each of the one or more locations representing a distance between an upper tray button protrusion and a lower tray button protrusion for mandibular advancement Assigning a value;
Transmitting the value data to one or more of a 3D printer, a milling device, and an injection molding device; And
Forming a dental appliance through direct manufacturing using values associated with each of the one or more positions for placing the button protrusion, wherein the dental appliance includes a lower dental tray and an upper dental tray, and the lower dental tray And the upper dental tray is homogeneous, respectively, the lower dental tray includes the vertical displacement and a first pair of button protrusions, the upper dental tray includes a second pair of button protrusions, and the first pair of buttons The method, wherein the protrusion and the second pair of button protrusions provide an anterior mandibular position when two elastic bands are attached to connect the upper dental tray and the lower dental tray. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the dental appliance is formed by three-dimensional (3D) printing of one or more of a photopolymerizable liquid curable crosslinked polymer, polyurethane, methacrylate and copolymer. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the dental appliance is at least one of milled and injection molded using at least one of an ethylene propylene copolymer and a polyoxymethylene copolymer. The method of claim 17, wherein the dental appliance is formed by three-dimensional (3D) printing of a polymerizable resin composition of a urethane monomer, an acidic monomer, and one or more hydrophobic monomers of urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA). 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the dental appliance is injection molded using a thermoplastic olefin, a thermoplastic polyolefin, or an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the vertical displacement is a function of the patient's soft palate shape. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the vertical displacement is provided by one or more of a pair of bite pads on the lower dental tray or by the thickness of the lower dental tray. The method of claim 17, wherein the determination of the gingival line identifies a maxillary tooth crown-gum junction and a mandibular crown-gum junction, and wherein the upper dental tray is about 3 millimeters away from the maxillary crown-gingival junction on the upper dental tray. Wherein the lower dental tray is formed to reach about 3 millimeters below the mandibular crown-gum junction. A system comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions,
The system, wherein the instructions are operative to perform the method of claim 17 when executed on the processor.

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